Only Fools Rush In
by djduchess
Summary: Things never go as planned when it comes to the Anomalies, but Evan never expected to have the rug pulled out from underneath his feet. Now he must open up before the one person he cares about the most is ripped away from him before ever getting to hear those three little words, "I love you."


Author's Note: This story takes place in the Alternate Universe I created for my other fanfiction _The Butterfly Effect_. Some references may exist to the story line, but you should be able to follow without having to read my other work (though I would love it if you did). I also want it to be known that while this one shot does take place in my world it won't be considered canon in my world for some time. Basically I wanted to have some Dylan/Evan (Dyvan) romance going on, but knew that the characters weren't going to be getting to this level of romance in my world for a bit. So here's an angsty romantic one shot for all you Dyvan fans out there. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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**ONLY FOOLS RUSH IN**

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"**Take my hand**

**Take my whole life too**

**For I can't help **

**Fallin' in love with you…"**

**-Elvis Presley**

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"Dylan, where are you?" Evan's frantic voice sounded in Dylan's ear when she touched the talk button on the Bluetooth device in her ear, trying to stop the vibration of her mobile in her pocket.

Dylan wanted to reply, but she heard the clipping sound of claws on steel. Something had stalked into the room with her and she didn't have any way of finding out what it was without exposing herself to it. Her back pressed against the plaster, her green eyes frantically searching the room around her. If she made the decision to say something, to alert Evan to her location she could also be alerting the creature as well. Whatever it was it had already killed three people, torn them apart with a mixture of claws and teeth. Almost like how wild cats killed, which made Dylan's stomach drop. Perhaps she had a better idea of what was stalking her than she wanted to admit.

"Dylan, answer me please," Evan said, his voice was soft now, like he was pleading and Dylan felt the tears sting her eyes. He must be going through hell at the moment.

The world around Dylan grew silent; the only sound the soft thrumming of electricity from an electric box off in the dark corner of the warehouse. All she could see was the red light that indicated it was working. Her brows furrowed as the light flickered off and then on again. The sound hadn't changed though. It flickered again. With a terrifying cry Dylan swung around the pillar she had her back against as a Smilodon, better known as a saber-toothed cat, pounced. She wasn't quick enough though. Dylan felt the swipe of a claw against her side, her taser rifle and bag ripping from her body, flying across the room with a crash, but she knew she couldn't stop to find it. The cat was going to chase her and there was no way she could out run it if she stopped to find the gun.

"Dylan!" Evan's voice filled her ears and her green eyes flickered to the door way, his outline bringing relief and panic.

"Shoot it!" Dylan cried.

Evan pulled up his rifle and fired, the first bolt missing the cat by half a meter. His heart jumped into his throat as he watched the cat miss Dylan's legs by a hair. Forcing his hands to steady he took another shot only to have the cat weave around a pillar to try to head Dylan off, making him miss again.

"I can't get a shot!" Evan replied, panic lacing his voice.

"Shut the door!" Dylan yelled, knowing that if she didn't make it out before he closed the steel door completely then she was dead.

Evan grabbed the sliding metal door and started closing it, his eyes following Dylan's progression, before falling on the massive cat that was about to overtake her. There was no way she was going to make it and he could see the same thought flicker in her eyes. Evan pulled his rifle up, forgetting the door all together.

"Down!" Evan cried.

Dylan dropped, the cat flying over her for a second before Evan blasted the creature. It dropped, convulsing for a moment as a mewl forced its way out of the saber-toothed cat's throat. Neither of them moved for a moment, making sure the creature was truly unconscious.

"Are you okay?" Evan asked as he rushed to Dylan.

"Dylan, Evan are you okay?" Mac's voice came over Evan's radio, Dylan's lost somewhere in the dark of the room.

"We just brought down a saber-toothed cat. Keep guarding the Anomaly, we'll bring the creature to you," Evan replied.

"Brilliant," Mac's voice echoed through the room.

Evan clipped his radio back on his trousers before Dylan felt his hands under her arms and winced as he helped her to her feet. There was less pain than there should have been and as she glanced down to her side it was clear that it wasn't just a superficial wound, like she had hoped. Blood was staining her shirt and jeans, even her coat had started to soak up the crimson liquid.

"Are you okay?" Evan asked again.

"I…" Dylan started, but she was cut off by the echoing growl of a cat.

"There's another one," Evan whispered.

"Do you have any sedatives? Mine are with my rifle," Dylan said.

"Shit, no," Evan said as he flicked his eyes back to the cat on the ground. It twitched reflexively and Evan shot the animal with another bolt, hoping that would keep it down long enough for them to either find the sedatives or come up with another plan.

"How many shots do you have left?" Dylan asked.

"One," Evan replied regretfully.

Dylan knew the cat was close, following the smell of her blood more than likely. With her right hand wrapped around to her side, she used her free hand to dig into her coat pocket for her torch, flicking on the light.

"I need my rifle," Dylan said.

"Forget it. We'll come back for it after we draw this one back to Mac and Sam. They're on the east side of the building, guarding the Anomaly," Evan said, his form slowly moving back to the door. Once he glanced out the door, checking to see if the coast was clear, he caught sight of the blood on his hand. Dylan watched as his eyes widen and his body tensed for a moment, before his stormy blue eyes flickered back to her.

Dylan felt the tears prick her eyes at the look she read on his face. She'd seen that look on his face before, when he stood in front of the door on Sub-Level A that led to where he'd first discovered the Anomalies, the same place that his wife had died.

"You're hurt," he said, his voice breaking as the growl of the cat came once more, echoing down the corridors.

"You have to go. I'm going to find my rifle and I'm going to hold it off. You need to save your charge in case…," Dylan couldn't finish the sentence. Deep down she knew she wasn't going to be able to fire her rifle, not when she was already loosing feeling in her fingers. A tear slid down her cheek at that realization, but she refused to let herself cry another. What she had to focus on was getting Evan out of there before the cat showed up. On top of that, she wasn't even sure how much longer she was going to be able to stand. Her limbs were already starting to get cold and numb. "You have to go."

"I'm not leaving you, Dylan," Evan said, his voice authoritative and fierce.

"Please," Dylan said as she sank to her knees the fight going out of her, unable to stay on her feet any longer.

Evan was at her side in an instant, one hand on her back and the other resting against her own. His fingers moved gently against hers, slowly pulling them away so he could pull her blue tank top up enough to see the wound. The gash was long and deep and like most cat scratches the unblemished skin around it was red and starting to swell as blood leaked freely from the wound. Evan quickly ripped the bottom half of his shirt, creating several layers to tie together before he wrapped them around Dylan's waist. A tear escaped his eye when Dylan gave no physical reaction to how tight he tied his makeshift bandage.

Dylan didn't even wince as Evan bandaged her up. The pain was gone. Logically she knew her body was going into shock, but she still found herself trying to fight against it. What she did know was that she was going to die and she needed to convince Evan to leave before he was killed as well. The creature would be there soon, drawn to her blood, and if it moved half as fast as the last one did it would have to be damn near upon them before they could be certain one bolt would take it down without missing.

"It smells my blood, you have to go," Dylan said softly.

"No, I won't leave you," Evan snapped.

"Evan…" Dylan started.

"No. You're the only one here that remembers what our lives were supposed to be like. You're the only one that understands me. I can't lose you Dylan. I refuse to. So if you're done trying to sacrifice your life I have an idea," Evan said, his hand touching her cheek, his stormy eyes burning a fire into her green eyes, giving her hope.

"What's your plan?" Dylan asked.

A few minutes later Evan finished telling her the idea and Dylan actually raised her torch and started looking for her rifle, which Evan didn't take too kindly to. It was a horrible plan, but the silence that had settled around them told them both that the cat had found them. It wouldn't be long before they were attacked. The moment that thought hit them Dylan was ready to move. Evan helped her to her feet and she moved her torch back around, the light temporally reflecting off a steel door. For a second they both stopped and stared at the pupils that appeared to glow from the middle of the room, confirming that Smilodon carried the same layer of tissue, called tapetum lucidum, right behind their retinas as other nocturnal animals. Apparently there was more than one way into the room.

"Run!" Evan cried.

Dylan didn't hesitate, her body's fight or flight response kicking in as she bolted for the door. Evan was right beside her and by the sound of it the saber-toothed cat was also. Dylan swung around the steel door, Evan following and together they pushed the door closed. They were knocked back by the force of the cat's impact with the steel door seconds after it closed. It wasn't going to hold it for long, especially since there was another entrance.

"Mac we've found another one. We've got it locked in with the one we already tasered. Chances are they're both going to be up and about here shortly, since we didn't get the tranq in the one. We're going to be leading them back to you so be ready," Evan said into the radio.

"Got it boss," Mac replied.

"We have to move," Evan said as he glanced to Dylan.

Dylan only nodded as she leaned against the wall, her lungs burning and her head spinning. She tried to smile at Evan, to ease the creases that appeared by his eyes and mouth, and the darkness that had entered his eyes. He couldn't match her smile though. Instead he took her hand and squeezed it gently before he carefully pulled her forward.

"Just another second," Dylan wheezed.

Evan didn't give her another second. Instead he picked her up in his arms. Fresh blood was staining her clothes and he knew the more she moved the more the wound opened. He wasn't going to leave her behind. The cat was ripping at the steel door still, knowing they were near. With a steady breath Evan started down the corridor at a quick pace, Dylan's arms wrapped around his neck.

"I'm slowing you down," she whispered against his neck.

"We've known each other over two years now, haven't we?" Evan asked, as he took a right, down another corridor.

"Nearly three," Dylan replied.

"Right, so on a scale of one to ten how stubborn am I?" he asked.

"Eleven," she said with a soft laugh.

A smile touched Evan's lips for a moment, before it faded as a loud crash echoed down the corridor. Sounded like they'd done nothing more than make the creature angry. He picked up his pace, turning left to head down the last corridor before they reached Mac and Sam.

"Can you reach the radio?" Evan asked.

Dylan released her hold on his neck and managed to wrap her cold fingers around the radio clipped to his trousers. It took a couple tries before her fingers pressed down on the button enough to get it to work.

"Mac, Sam we're coming in hot, the creatures are going to be right on our heels," Evan said into the radio.

"Evan," Dylan said, her voice pitching higher, as she caught sight of the two big cats taking the sharp turn behind them.

"We have you covered," Mac said, his form coming to view in front of the door.

"They're right behind us," Dylan whispered, her voice shaking at the sight of their long strides.

"We're almost there," Evan murmured reassuringly as Mac turned the corner into the room and grabbed Evan and Dylan, pulling them sharply to the side as the cats dove through after them.

Sam fired the moment she saw one, dropping the 260 kg Smilodon, while Mac shot the other one. Sam quickly moved in to sedate them with one of the tranquilizers that Dylan had premade just in case of an incursion.

"Dylan stay with me," Evan said as he carefully laid Dylan on the cold hard ground, her body limp and unconscious.

Mac had already dug his mobile out of his pocket and was dialing Toby.

"Are you okay? I've been worried out of my mind!" Toby's panicked voice filled Mac's ear.

"Tobes Dylan's been hurt, we need help now," Mac said.

"I'll call Ange," Toby said, her voice serious.

"Hurry, it doesn't look good," his voice lowered before he touched the end button on his phone.

"Dylan, can you hear me?" Evan asked, his hands cupping her cheeks. Tears were rolling down his cheeks, dripping off his chin, and onto her prone form as he trembled. Her skin had faded to snow white and he could barely see the rise and fall of her chest. With each beat of her heart she was pumping more blood out of her body. It was everywhere now, he could feel it cooling on his skin, seeping through his clothes and chilling him to the bones.

Sam was crying as she stood back, guarding the Anomaly had become a thing of the past as she watched Evan pull Dylan into his arms again, her head resting against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Mac had looked away, his eyes focusing on the creatures, but Sam couldn't tear her eyes away from the train wreck that seemed to be happening before her. Evan shook her gently as he held her, her eyes flickering open for a moment.

"Evan…" his name was a whisper in the air.

Evan pulled back gently, his tear stained cheeks, and blood shot eyes giving away his feelings as she lifted her hand to wipe away a fresh tear. Her hands were like ice against his cheek, but Evan didn't withdraw, instead he pressed his hand against hers to help try to warm hers.

"You have to stay with me. I can't lose you too. I've lost so many people I care about, I can't lose you," Evan whispered.

"It doesn't even hurt anymore," Dylan said softly, a sad smile touching her lips.

"Please Dylan. Hang on. For me. Don't leave me alone," he said, his chest constricting, a sob forcing its way from his lungs.

"I'm cold," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

"Please don't give up. Fight, please Dylan, I love you," Evan whispered as he cupped her cheeks, his lips touching hers gently.

"I…" Dylan trailed off as her eyes closed again, her hand slowly drifting down from Evan's cheek.

"No, God, please, not her," Evan cried as he pulled her against him again, his fingers finding a weak pulse in her neck.

The sound of the helicopter jolted all of them back into motion. Mac quickly running for the door that led outside, signaling them. Evan gently pulled Dylan up into his arms, his heart catching when he didn't see the rise of her chest right away. He moved quickly out the door after Mac, meeting the emergency crew half way. It took them moments to strap her to a board and get her in the helicopter. Evan intended to follow, but was held back. There was no room for him and if she was going to have any chance at all they needed the little space they had to try to save her life. Without a word he stood back, watching the helicopter ascend back into the air, his whole world going with it, as the military began pouring into the parking lot, no doubt sent by those at Project Magnet, intent on destroying everything he held dear.

"Get in, I'm driving," Mac said as he placed a hand on Evan's shoulder and directed him to the car. Sam was already in the back seat, her eyes watching the soldiers outside with disdain. They all knew what their presence would mean. They would pull those creatures back to be experimented on, it was still going to be six hours before the Anomaly closed and there was no way to protect them now that they knew about it. The only thing that mattered now was getting to Project Magnet and checking on Dylan, Toby was already planning on meeting them there.

Evan was in a state of shock, much like he'd been when Brooke was killed. Until today he had kept telling himself that Dylan was just his best friend, his confidant. Now, as he sat there reliving the last fifteen minutes over and over again he knew how blind he'd been. He loved her. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved Dylan Weir, from her compassion for animals to her fierce sense of justice. She was the one that had helped him move on from Brooke. For six years he hadn't thought twice about anyone, until Dylan stumbled upon him in the park all those years ago. All he wanted was her and he would be damned if he lost another woman he loved to these creatures.

By the time they reached Project Magnet's headquarters Toby was waiting for them at the door. Immediately upon seeing them she threw her arms around Evan, her eyes taking in the amount of blood that stained his clothes and the tear stained cheeks of her friends. Evan patted her on the back once, the most he'd done to acknowledge anyone since he'd gotten in the car. Toby was trying to hold back her tears, but when Mac opened his arms for her, she fell into his embrace crying. Mac ran his hand over her hair and held her tight as he kissed her forehead, trying to soothe his girlfriend enough to find out what she knew about the situation.

Evan didn't care to wait, his feet carrying him through the doors and into Project Magnet. The guards didn't even bother trying to stop him. The state of his clothes and the look on his face was enough to make them keep their distance. He moved through the halls, following the same path to the medical facility that he'd had on several occasions, none of them as painful as this time. Ange must have been alerted to his arrival, because she turned the corner, stopping when she caught sight of him. As much as she'd betrayed him over the last two years she was still Ange and the sight of her made him falter. She moved to his side, not saying a word, just helping him move through the corridors until they came upon the glass windows and the rush of medical staff.

As strong as Evan was the moment his eyes took in the tubes and machines that were keeping Dylan alive his knees buckled. The ground was hard and pain flared in his body, but all his strength was gone. He leaned his head against the glass and let the tears fall. Ange knelt next to him, her hand on his shoulder. She had been there for him once before, when Brooke had died. She had helped him through that pain for the first few months, taking the business upon her shoulders, so that he had time to mourn. With all his heart he hoped that she would not need to do so again. If he lost Dylan, he wasn't certain he could come back from that, not after everything.

Time didn't seem to pass or if it did Evan was so far out of it he didn't notice. He didn't even see when Ange had left and Toby had sat down next to him. It seemed the team was taking turns, sitting by him. If they had been talking to him, he didn't hear them. All he could do was stare at the EKG, watching the heart line spike and fall. No one had come out to say anything to them yet and the longer they took the less hope Evan had. His heart was aching, like it was being shattered into a thousand pieces with no hope of ever being put back together. It jerked harshly in his chest when the whistle of an alarm sounded and Evan didn't see the steady rise and fall of the line on the machine. He pressed his hands against the glass, frantic to see as the medical team began moving quickly. Someone touched his shoulder, but he didn't bother looking to see who it was, as his heart pounded in his chest, his body tense as he stared at the machine, waiting for the heartbeat to return.

"I can't stand to see him like this again," Ange said softly as she stared at Evan, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Was he like this after Brooke?" Mac asked, his eyes trailing to Evan and then inside to where the doctor's had finally gotten Dylan's heart to start beating again.

"He was a zombie for days, talking about dinosaurs. Everyone was sure that he'd lost it. Even I did, but I tried to support him like the psychologists told me to. He needed someone to believe in him so I did. He was my best friend and Brooke was like a sister to me. To see him just give up on everything was heartbreaking, but then he became so animated when he started obsessing over the Anomalies. I couldn't say no to him. I helped him as much as I could. I thought it was good for him at the time. I've regretted it ever since. If I had just convinced him this whole thing was a coping mechanism then we wouldn't be here right now," Ange said.

"And all our lives would be different," Mac said, his eyes flicking to Toby on the floor next to Evan. "I think I prefer it the way it is."

"Even with Dylan dying in that room?" she asked.

"Dylan's a fighter. She'll make a proper recovery," he said.

"I hope you're right, for Evan's sake."

"I am."

Mac met Toby's eyes and nodded, moving to take over for her for a moment, next to Evan. Sam had taken her own seat on the other side of Evan, her eyes cloudy. Other than Evan, Sam had talked very little, but it was expected. Sam and Dylan had become quite close over the last couple years and it was hard on to see her friend in such a state. All she could do was sit there, her knees pulled to her chest, and her arms wrapped protectively around them as she too watched the doctor's battle death inside the glass cage.

Hours had passed by the time the medical team had finally made their way out of the room. Evan's blue eyes were still glued to the EKG machine, refusing to look away from it, his heart jumping every time his weary eyes blinked their exhaustion. The others had gotten to their feet, moving quickly to intercept the lead doctor that was making his way to Ange.

"How is she?" Toby asked quickly before anyone else could.

"Stable, for now. She's lost a lot of blood," Dr. Jack Franklin said as he pulled his glasses off his face and cleaned them on his white lab coat.

"Is she going to make it?" Ange asked.

"It's touch and go right now. The wound was deep, severing nerves and nearly making it impossible to save her. She was lucky the creature hadn't punctured through all of her skin and tissue, elsewise we'd be having a very different conversation right now. So that's good. As long as the wound doesn't become infected there's a chance for her to make a full recovery. But there are also other things to be concerned with. We have no idea what kind of bacteria may have entered her system from the creature or if there are any other problems that might arise from that contact," Franklin said with a sigh as he returned his glasses to his face.

"Assuming no infection or bacteria contaminants she'll recover?" Sam asked.

"I believe so, yes, but that is entirely up to her now," he replied. "Now if you'll excuse me."

Hope had finally started to settle back into their little world. Mac turned to go inform Evan, but he was no longer on the floor where he'd been for so long. Turning he searched the rest of the room, but didn't see him. It wasn't until Toby squeezed his hand and nodded toward Dylan that Mac saw Evan's form through the glass.

The calm of the room drew Evan's eyes away from the EKG machine. Dylan was alone, alive, but alone. He picked himself up from the ground, confused by the lack of feeling in his legs, but he refused to sit back down or wait for the tingling sensation to pass. Instead he passed by the others and slipped quietly through the glass doors. He grabbed the stool on wheels that was near the wall and rolled it to Dylan's bed side. The blood had been cleaned from her body and he watched the steady drip of O negative drip into a tube that led to her veins. The machines kept up a steady hum and beep, soothing his frayed nerves. He reached over and gently pushed back a strand of her strawberry-blonde hair from her forehead before he took a seat, his hand finding hers.

"I realized on my way here that I've been keeping a part of myself hidden from everyone. Nine years ago I lost Brooke and it destroyed me. I never thought I'd get over it. Then three years ago you walked into my life, your gun aimed at me. The smile on your face when I called you ranger was a beacon to a part of my heart that I thought was dead. Then you told me your name and I felt like I already knew you. Tony had shared so much about you and now I wonder if he did it for another reason.

"I'd become so obsessed with the Anomalies, obsessed with trying to find answers to why Brooke died and why I was saved. I couldn't see past any of that, until I met you. You gave me a peace I had never imagined feeling. When you were around I stopped missing Brooke, I didn't forget her, it was more like I could breathe again in a way I hadn't since her death. You brought me back to life Dylan. I put myself through six years of torment and you slowly started erasing that, healing the wounds I never let close.

"I need you here. I don't want to live without you. I'm not even sure I can. We've been here two years, trapped in a world we still don't know entirely. I need you by my side. So please, pull through this. Fight for me. I meant what I said earlier. I think I always have. There was no way I could not. I can't help falling in love with you Dylan Weir," Evan spoke softly. He squeezed Dylan's hand gently when he was finished, not knowing if she could hear him, but hoping she still understood. Tears slid down his cheeks and a smile lifted his lips when he felt her fingers squeeze his, her green eyes flickering open for a moment to catch his before fluttering closed again, almost like she was trying to fight the anesthetics. It was such a small gesture, but the world seemed to explode with color. He laughed, he couldn't stop it, it bubbled up out of his gut, the tension seeping out of his body in one moment. All he could do was laugh and smile, tears not of sorrow or worry ran down his cheeks. For the first time in nearly ten years Evan Cross had found himself in a true moment of euphoria, one he never wanted to leave, as he rose from the stool and kissed Dylan's forehead, smoothing her hair back with his free hand, the other still holding her hand. He sat back down, not intending to leave her side. He had finally figured out he loved her and needed her in his life. There was no way he was ever going to let her go now, especially when he caught the glint in her eyes, and the soft smile on her rosy lips as she drifted back to sleep.


End file.
